MR. ROBERT WALLACEI beg to ask the Lord Advocate—(1) what is at the present moment the amount of accumulated funds in the hands of the Board of Manufactures in Scotland; and (2) what steps the Board is taking for the encouragement of art in Scotland?
§ * THE LORD ADVOCATEI have received a communication from the Secretary to the Board of Manufactures, who is at present on his annual leave, and is, therefore, unable to give me the exact amount of the accumulated funds referred to, but as soon as I can obtain the information I will communicate it to the hon. Member. With reference to the second paragraph, the Board are fulfilling their ordinary duties, which, as the hon. Member is aware, include the conduct of the important School of Art in Edinburgh, and the maintenance of the National Gallery of Scotland, the National Portrait Gallery, and National Museum of Antiquities, together with the buildings containing these collections.